A Century of Nurturing Influence: A Historical Study of the Century-long Development of American Literature Translation and Research in China

Since the 1920s, American literature has gradually entered the Chinese intellectual and literary sphere through translations, specialized journals, and critical writings. Over the past century, it has become an essential part of China's modern literary landscape and academic discourse. This paper traces the historical trajectory of American literature's translation and research in China, dividing it into four major stages: the formative stage (1920s-1940s), the developmental stage (1950s-1970s), the flourishing stage (1980s-2010s), and the stage of innovation (2010s to the present). For each period, the study reviews the historical context, representative works and authors, key translation practices, and critical tendencies. It further outlines the evolution of scholarly concerns and knowledge structures across these stages. In particular, the paper situates post-reform era developments within the broader intellectual project of constructing a "Chinese-style knowledge system" for American literary studies, aiming to shed light on its significance and offer constructive insights for future cross-cultural literary scholarship.